Intertwine
by Raven-Wilson
Summary: Raven has an unwelcome visitor trapped in her mind. The line between right and wrong blurs and her world is turned upside down.
1. Company

I don't own Teen Titans

* * *

Raven stood atop Titan's Tower on another warm, quiet night. A gentle breeze tugged at her violet locks. She took a deep breath as she lowered herself, cross-legged, to the ground. The air was sweet and familiar, carrying the scent of childhood summers.  
Another deep breath as she began the slow process of clearing her mind. Things were different for the Titans now, almost calm. Aside from the stray criminal or misplaced monster, they were all able to breathe a little more freely. Trigon was dead, the Brotherhood defeated, and Slade was nowhere to be found. Even Robin seemed to unwind a little. Again, another deep breath; cleansing, calming, each breath taking away the thoughts from the day.  
Emphasis on "a little." Robin still stayed up at night, thinking no one was awake, trying to track down Slade. The other Titans knew, but they took it as part of who he had become. They didn't waste their time trying to convince him otherwise.  
Raven had particularly enjoyed the lull in activity. She was able to catch up on her reading and meditate more than she had in quite some time. She felt at peace, save for a few minor annoyances: Beast Boy's constant jokes; his bickering with Cyborg about which movie to watch or game to play. Still, it was routine, and Raven enjoyed rituals.  
She emptied her lungs slowly, worry and anxiety leaving her with each breath. No pestering questions from Beast Boy, no explaining to Starfire that beating a dead horse didn't actually require "physical damage upon an expired equine," no worrying about Robin's mind. In, out.  
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos." The words spilled gently from Raven's lips in her monotone. Her body became weightless, her vision went from black to a vast expanse of stars. Paths and bridges sprawled across the endless night. Ethereal ravens crossed her line of vision. She was where she felt safest. She was inside her mind.

She strolled along the pathways, looking for signs of her emotional selves, but finding none. This wasn't particularly troublesome. She had maintained her composure as of late, and they were all behaving themselves-just the way Raven liked it. She took a seat upon one of the higher bridges, gazing out at the expanse of her own calm mind.  
A soft breeze brushed past her face, causing a small wrinkle to crease her forehead. "That's... unusual," she said, her lips unmoving. Suddenly, a dark figure appeared on one of the paths in her field of vision. It was tall and still, but seemed to struggle to keep its form. The more she focused on it, the more substantial it became. The figure started to turn to her, and a rush of air filled her lungs. Someone was with her, in her mind. Panic flooded her, washing her back to reality on its current. Her eyes shot open and darted around for the intruder. She was back on the roof, alone.

Raven got to her feet slowly. She examined her surroundings, searching for whatever intruder disturbed her meditation. Finding nothing, she took a deep breath, calming herself. She closed her eyes and projected her soul-self outwards, trying to find some trace of another's presence. Nothing. Raven frowned to herself and scanned the rooftop one last time. "Maybe all this peace and quiet is getting to me," she sighed and made her way back inside the tower.  
Raven stepped quietly, hoping to creep past the living room unnoticed. No such luck. Beast Boy bounced in front of her, excitedly waving the cover of a DVD in her face.  
"Raven! We're gonna watch Alien Zombies Att...mmmhmhmmmrmmm!"  
Raven's hand was now in his face, covering his mouth as he continued to babble. "Not interested."  
She didn't give him a second glance as she continued to her room. Beast Boy's ears fell, but only for a moment. He had learned long ago not to take her standoffishness personally, and he quickly forgot her rejection. The light in the living room went out behind her as her teammates lost themselves in the movie.

Raven entered her room, eyeing it suspiciously. Nothing. Her shoulders fell as she removed her cloak and hung it on a nearby chair. She flopped down onto her bed, the mattress barely recognizing her weight. She crossed her arms over her chest, annoyed at having her meditation disrupted-annoyed that she didn't know what caused it.  
"Maybe I'm doing it to myself," she thought. "Maybe I'm so used to struggle that I don't know what to do without it." She turned the thought over in her mind, finding it oddly calming. With a stretch and a yawn, she pulled a book out from under her pillow and sprawled out across her bed. No sooner than she opened it, the words began to blur together as sleep-and a dream-took her.


	2. Black Bird

Raven opened her eyes. She was in her bed, dressed in her pajamas. "I must have been more tired than I thought," she murmured as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and squinted at her clock. 2:00 AM. She stared, bleary-eyed, at the bright red digital numbers. She felt as if she had slept for hours, but she felt restless, not rested. She was incredibly groggy, worse than she had been before she dozed off.

A sudden cold breeze caressed her face, bringing her out of her reverie. Her eyebrow shot up as she glanced around her room-her windowless room. Something was definitely wrong. She slung her feet over the side of the bed. As she stood up to reach for her cloak, the floor gave way beneath her.

She was falling, and fast. She held her arms out and attempted in vain to levitate. Pushing down the panic building up in her chest, she focused on projecting the large black raven to help stop her fall. Nothing. She cried out in frustration as she continued to plummet helplessly downwards. She tried to focus eyes, to make some sense of the darkness around her. She pursed her lips and glanced down, discovering to her surprise that she could see the ground. Before she could react to its nearness, her body made sudden and painful contact with it-cold, hard, and unforgiving. She landed on her hands and knees with an "Oomph!"

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart before raising her head to examine her surroundings. A pale light-moonlight?-shined down on her. She glanced up trying to locate its source, but found nothing but emptiness. She nervously tucked her hair behind her ears as she rose to her feet.

"Don't get up on my account."

Raven's eyes went wide at the sound of the disembodied voice. The look of shock on her face gave way almost instantly to anger, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Who are you? And where am I?" she demanded, with venom in her voice.

"One would think you would recognize your own mind, Ms. Roth. And as for who I am, that is a discussion I don't think you are quite prepared to handle," the voice replied.

Raven tried to stem the tide of anger rising in her. She focused on the voice, trying to place it in her memory. It was almost familiar, but it coiled and twisted through her mind, as if it were avoiding her recollection. "Why-" she began, but the voice interrupted.

"That is an excellent question. One I've been searching for the answer to." the voice replied again.

Slowly, almost deliberately, dark figure from her meditation wavered on the edge of the light surrounding her. Frustation rose in her again, surging through her body all the way to her lips. "Get out of my head!" she snapped.

"I would oblige if I could, Ms. Roth. It seems I have no control over the matter."

Her eyes narrowed again. This wasn't the first time she had someone trapped in her mind. At least the last time, she had known who they were and how they got there.

The voice answered her unspoken question, "Unfortunately answering the who would place us both in danger. Once you've learned the who, the how will follow."

Raven bit her lip, trying to soak in what she was being told. The anger in her quieted again, leaving confusion and curiosity in its place. She stepped towards the figure, causing it to ripple and begin to fade.

"Wake up, little black bird. You'll know soon enough," the voice echoed in her mind.

Without warning, the floor beneath her collapsed, and again she fell through emptiness. This time, the trip was much shorter, and when she landed, she was lying in bed, still in her clothes from the previous night.

Raven flipped over in bed and grabbed the clock on the table. 2:01AM. Her eyes darted around the room, but she was alone. The voice's last words returned to her, and as she dwelled on them, they grew more and more familiar.

"Wake up, little black bird. You'll know soon enough."

She suddenly felt sick to her stomach.


	3. The Visitor

Slade found himself in this strange, dark place again. His impromptu visits were becoming more frequent and more frustrating. Under normal circumstances, he would find a way to use this situation to his advantage. But this situation was anything but normal, even for him. He had to learn how to stop it, or, at the very least, control it.

His visits were brief, but he didn't enjoy being whisked away against his will. It felt too much like being a prisoner. No one imprisoned Slade.

He realized early on that fighting made things worse. Any emotional response tightened the hold this place had on him. He decided it best to learn about his surroundings. Perhaps he could glean some sort of clue as to how to stop whatever was summoning him here. The first things that caught his eye were the small crystal-like objects floating all around him. They numbered in the thousands and glimmered like stars, reflecting light that had no apparent source. He reached out and tapped one, interrupting its slow journey, and blinked in mild surprise as he saw his own masked face in it. The shards were mirrors.

They floated lazily past him as he walked the bridges and pathways of his strange surroundings. He took one of the shards in his hand and watched emotionlessly as the reflection in it shifted, spun, and gave way to a memory. Slade couldn't help but smirk as he watched the young hero Robin struggling against an invisible opponent, feinting and striking at thin air. The image changed before Slade's eyes. His point of view rose higher and suddenly zipped towards Robin. Slade could almost feel the sensations the owner of this memory felt: crashing into Robin, but not colliding with him; losing contact with his own body, but becoming suddenly aware of the bumps and bruises of Robin's; seeing the suddenly visible foe through Robin's eyes, and realizing that it was an illusion of Slade himself.

Slade pulled his eyes from the scene and felt almost grateful that it was over. The sensation of entering into the crazed mind of another person had been less pleasant than he had imagined, and he was sure his second-hand experience was decidedly less intense than the real thing. Still, he was now easily able to deduce his location: inside the mind of the Teen Titan, Raven. "How deliciously ironic," he chuckled to himself. "Inside the mind of my own enemy."

He continued down the path, taking a glance at each shard that passed him. They were filled with a lifetime of memories that he felt certain wouldn't aid him in discovering the cause of his imprisonment in Raven's mind. Most of them were memories of the other Teen Titans staring at her as she brushed past them on her way to the solitude of her room.

One shard, however, caught his attention and held it. His eyebrow arched beneath his mask as he stared at his own image. Were it not for the fiery rune on the forehead of the Slade in the shard, he might have believed he was actually staring at his reflection in the fragment of mirror. He reached out and plucked the shard from midair. His touch caused the mirror to shimmer slightly, and Raven's memory began to play out upon the glass.

She was standing before him, back turned, and trembling in his grasp. Her clothes were in tatters, exposing the fiery red symbols that burned all over her body. The shard started to grow brighter in his hand as the scene continued to unfold. Slade heard the words that he had spoken to her once, "It WILL happen." The girl continued to tremble against him as he whispered into her ear.

Suddenly, the air became heavier, oppressive. The image on the mirror grew sharper and brighter, as if it was trying to stand out to its audience. As Slade continued to watch the shard, he realized he was not only able to see and hear Raven, but feel her, too. He felt every emotion that had surged through her body at that moment: her anguish, her hopelessness, and her guilt. Slade allowed himself the satisfaction of a small smile when he felt how uncomfortable she was that he touched her and whispered in her ear. Certainly that would prove useful in the future.

For now, he was done being subjected to her emotions. He tossed the shard carelessly over his shoulder and waited for the sound of shattering glass. As he listened, he heard instead a soft voice muttering to herself. He stopped and turned slowly, catching a glimpse of Raven far away and above him. He froze, realizing he wouldn't know how to leave or conceal himself if he wanted to. He watched Raven as she became aware of him, tried to focus on him, tried to identify him. A look of confusion crossed her face... and that was all. No fear, no anger, no recognition. She vanished, and he was alone with her memories again.


	4. Soon

Raven levitated cross-legged above her bed, trying to calm herself down. She had managed to convince herself it wasn't Slade in her mind. He was gone, no one had seen him in ages. It wasn't possible for him to be in her head. "Maybe this explains his vanishing act." The thought rose unwanted in her mind. "No," she shook her head. "It's NOT Slade."  
She floated down to the floor, pulled her hood up over her head, and left her room. She could already hear her friends in the living room. She tried to push the thought of the unwelcome visitor out of her mind as she stood in the doorway, watching her friends enjoy themselves.  
Beast Boy and Cyborg battled it out on the GameStation. Robin sat next to Starfire, his arm wrapped around her shoulder as they watched their friends play. Starfire gazed at Robin with pure adoration in her eyes. They were all truly happy.  
"It wouldn't be fair to drag them into this. Look how happy they are," Raven thought to herself. She quietly crept back from the door and made her way to the roof.

Raven plopped down on the roof and buried her head in her hands. The idea that some unknown person was in her mind, learning about her and her secrets, was almost overwhelming. She knew she had to keep herself together in order to fix it, but having her privacy invaded made her skin crawl. She lifted her head and took a deep breath, then summoned ball of black energy to her hands.  
She rolled the energy between her fingers. The control she held over it brought her comfort. She levitated the ball to eye level and focused on it, lazily changing its shape. The exercise calmed her, and she let the thoughts and stresses of the last twenty-four hours drain from her mind.  
The sun disappeared behind the clouds, painting the roof a sullen tone of overcast grey. A soft rumble of thunder rolled acros the city and a gentle breeze tugged at her robes. Raven didn't notice. The black ball of energy flickered out as her eyes slid closed. Her arms fell into lotus position, and soon she was inside her mind.

Raven found herself in another circle of pale light, still in lotus position on the floor. She folded her hands in her lap and quietly surveyed the unfamiliar area. "What part of my mind is this?" she asked herself, a small frown wrinkling her brow.  
"The part of your mind you keep locked away from everyone, even yourself, Ms. Roth." The voice of her unwelcome visitor answered her.  
"I don't keep things from myself. And who ARE you?" Raven reached out with her mind as she spoke, trying to identify the presence within her. Again, just as before, she could tell that she was not alone, but couldn't identify the intruder.  
"I've had time to explore parts of your mind that not even you would recognize. You're truly a complex being, if I do say so myself," the voice toyed with her.  
"You have no idea," Raven returned, her voice laced with sarcasm, "but that doesn't change the fact that you're not welcome here. No one belongs in my mind. So GET OUT!"  
"Temper, temper, Raven. Becoming hostile won't help either of us. In fact, it will only make matters worse."  
Raven closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. She wasn't getting anywhere, but she quickly reined in her frustration. "Then at least tell me who you are."  
"You aren't ready yet. You have to be able to handle the truth. You run the risk of keeping me trapped here forever with those emotional outbursts of yours. Is that clear?"  
"How do you know that?" she asked, now fighting back frustration, anger, and fright. She had a feeling she didn't want to know the answer.  
"I've been here longer than you think, Ms. Roth. Can you keep yourself calm so that we may speak in person? I've seen you react poorly to unfortunate news in the past."  
Raven glared into the darkness. So the intruder was someone who knew her. The emotions battling within her gelled into an iciness that coursed through her veins. Her cold, glowering tone betrayed it. "I won't make any promises."  
"Then we will see each other quite soon, Raven. Do try to keep yourself under control. I'd hate to end up moving in," the voice goaded her slyly, teasingly.  
With that, Raven could sene that the presence was gone. She lingered for a moment before bringing herself back to her body. She had to prepare herself somehow. She didn't know what for, but she was certain it wouldn't be pleasant. She stood and walked briskly from the storm-grey rooftop, bound for the sanctuary of her room.


	5. Truce

Raven sat on the edge of her bed, poring over one of her books. She was looking for something, anything, that might help her. The pile of discarded books at her feet bore evidence of her lack of any success. Still, she pushed on, her eyebrows knit together in concentration. A sudden pounding from outside her door shattered her focus. She shook her head and gave a sigh of frustration as she searched for her lost place on the page.

"Hey, Raven! We got pizzas and we're gonna watch a movie! Come with us!" Cyborg's voice came muffled from the other side of the door. She could hear the others behind him.

"Friend Raven, I have brought the buttered mints for extra toppings. Please, join us!" Starfire pleaded.

"Not tonight, I'm busy." Raven stared at her book, its meaning now lost to the distraction in the hallway.

"Aaaw, c'mon, Raven! Loosen up!" Beast Boy chimed in. Raven heard him start up again, but he was quickly silenced. She heard Robin tell the others to go ahead. She groaned to herself, knowing he meant to face her alone. This was definitely not what she needed.  
She loved Robin like a brother, but he knew her too well. He could tell when something was bothering her, making it nearly impossible to hide things from him. He knocked softly at her door.

"Raven, is everything okay?" Robin asked, his voice laced with concern.  
Raven sighed and heaved to her feet. She opened the door, forcing her face to remain an emotionless mask. "I'm fine, Robin. I'm studying."

He gave her a skeptical glance, raising his eyebrow in her direction. "You've been distant, even for you. You sure nothing's wrong?"

"It's just the sudden change. All this free time takes getting used to. Really, I'm fine." Raven's heart sank as she lied to her friend.  
"We're here for you Raven, free time or not. You know that." Robin gave her a sympathetic smile that made her heart sink further.  
"Thanks, Robin." She returned the smile as best she could and closed the door. Robin turned and shook his head as he walked away. He knew something wasn't right, but he also knew not to push the issue.

Raven returned her books to their proper places, deciding she might benefit instead from a night-time walk. She needed some fresh air, and perhaps the answer would come if she had nothing to focus on.

She slipped out of her room and made her way quietly through the tower. She passed the doorway of the dimly-lit living room and stole a glance at her friends, their face bathed in the glow of the television. Raven was struck by another pang of guilt. Her friends were worried about her. So was she.  
She made her way through the streets of Jump City. The sun had long ago slipped below the horizon, but the city's neon lights lit up the sky. Raven stepped into a coffee shop and bought herself a cup of tea for her walk. She sipped it gingerly as she wove her way through the city.

She stopped in front of the Jump City museum and studied the facade for a moment. She remembered that the museum had an outside exhibit: a garden filled with pristine white statues. Raven levitated herself up over the 8 foot brick wall and landed softly on the other side.

She walked through the rosebush-lined paths, stopping to admire the intricately carved statues. Although they were slightly larger than life-size, each of the statues possessed a life-like quality. She stopped to study a particular statue of a young woman pouring water into a large basin. The washerwoman's face was frozen in a tranquil smile. As Raven gazed at it, her eyes went slightly out of focus. A shadow moved along the ground. It almost seemed to come from the statue itself. Raven shook her head and focused again on the statue's face.

"Good evening, Ms. Roth. I didn't imagine you being an admirer of fine art." A dark figure moved detached itself from the statue's moonlit shadow and stepped out from behind the statue.

Raven's eyes went wide and then narrowed quickly as she saw and instantly recognized the familiar two-toned mask. "Slade!" she growled and raised her hands, beginning her chant. "Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" She surrounded one of the museum plaques with black energy and sent it flying straight into Slade. The force of the impact sent him crashing into the brick wall behind him. Raven kept her hands out in front of her, making sure the plaque kept him pinned against the wall. "What do you want, Slade? I am NOT in the mood for your games."

Slade locked his eye on Raven's. "It's nice to see you too, Raven. Tell me, how is Robin?"

Raven sent a wave of energy crashing into the plaque, crushing it against Slade's chest. "I'm not going to ask again," Raven hissed.

"Put your toy away, little girl. You know why I'm here and no amount of chanting is going to help the situation." Slade's eye narrowed at her, but he didn't struggle. He made no attempt to fight back.

Raven's eyes faded back to violet and the plaque dropped to the ground, yet she maintained her battle stance. "Explain yourself before I lose my patience," she snapped.

Slade dusted off his armor, checking himself over. He was never one to respond to demand. He'd take as much time as he pleased. "I always thought of you as the most level-headed of the Titans, Ms. Roth. You haven't figured it out by now?" He strode towards her, his hands behind his back.

Raven raised her hand, a flickering ball of black energy surrounding it, as she shook her head. "No."

"Put it away, Raven. That won't help either of us. If I wanted to destroy you, I would have done so ten minutes ago." He continued to advance. "Remember what I said, it is imperative that you remain in control."

Raven's arms fell to her sides. So that was it. Slade had access to her mind. She was a risk to the Titans-a risk to herself. The realization hit her chest with near-physical force, practically knocking the wind out of her. She tilted her head down, trying to push back the panic mounting inside her. "How did this happen?"

He stopped before her, looking down at her as he explained "I am led to believe that being Trigon's 'servant' connected me to him while he was alive. Once he was destroyed and your powers were returned to you, it created some sort of link. Much like you have with my former apprentice..." he paused for a moment, and his words were nowhere near as full of contempt when he continued. "But stronger."

Raven felt ill. She sank to her knees, her arms crossed as she gripped her shoulders. She nearly asked how he knew about her bond with Robin, but the answer was clear and painful. He knew everything about her now.

He glanced down at the girl, rolling his eye at the display of weakness. "I have no control of when it happens. I simply find myself there. And I can assure you, Ms. Roth, I do not enjoy being held against my will. I considered killing you, but I can't be sure of the consequences."

Raven looked up at him, her eyebrow arched. "Consequences? What cons-"

"I don't know," he cut her off. "And I don't act without knowing exactly what I am getting into. There are side effects to being trapped in your mind. I'm sure there would be repercussions for destroying the mind I'm linked to."

She stared off into the distance, varying scenarios—all of them bad-playing out in her mind. "So now what?" She asked, the panic gone from, and the monotone returned to, her voice.  
Slade smirked at her, the mask concealing it. He reached down and picked the girl up by her arms, placing her on her feet. The moment he touched her, he recalled the vision of the two of them on the rooftop when he delivered his message from Trigon. He felt her discomfort, her body tense at his touch. He enjoyed making her uncomfortable, current circumstance be damned. "We call a truce while we learn how to sever this link together." His voice was calm, and smooth. And it irritated Raven to no end.

"A truce?" Raven's voice dripped with skepticism.

"Yes, a truce. Temporarily, between you and me. I won't extend this courtesy to the other Titans." Slade replied.

"Don't call attention to yourself and the other Titans won't be your concern." Raven's eyes narrowed.

"Don't get yourself killed trying to be a hero. I'm a terrible baby-sitter." Slade crossed his arms over his chest.

Raven levitated herself off the ground, preparing to return to the tower. She gave Slade one last glance, certain he was smirking at her from behind his mask, before turning away.

"Oh, and Ms. Roth?" Slade called after her in a prodding, almost singsong, tone. "I love what you've done with your hair.". He felt her bristle at his words, which brought a sardonic smile to his masked face..

Raven turned back to Slade, the familiar anger and hatred toward him boiling up inside her again. "Slade, if you'd like to keep your hands," she replied as she backed away from him. "Start by keeping them to yourself." Her form turned black as she phased through the brick wall.


	6. One Good Deed

I still don't own Teen Titans.

* * *

Raven stared up at Titan Tower, her eyes locked on the only lit window—the living room. Her friends were still awake. The light from the living room burned down on her like a spotlight as she swallowed back the lump rising from her stomach to her throat. She had to tell them. Raven imagined Robin's reaction and cringed, but no amount of meditation was going to make this any easier. She took a deep breath and slowly started up the stairs on feet of lead.

Raven lingered for a moment in the doorway of the living room. Beast Boy, in the form of a monkey, jumped on top of Cyborg's head as they fought over the last slice of pizza. Despite her trepidation, Raven rolled her eyes. Starfire was in the kitchen, making something surely only she would eat. Robin sat on the loveseat with his arms behind his head as he read a magazine. Raven's stomach lurched as she took the first painful step into the room.

"Raven! You have decided to join us, how joyous!" Starfire floated over to her friend, holding a bowl of something that may have been edible. She shoved the bowl in Raven's face, causing its bright pink, gelatinous contents to wobble perilously. Raven swore she saw the substance breathe.

"Would you like to indulge in some Tamaranean friendship pudding? I have prepared it for just such an occasion!" Starfire beamed, beside herself with happiness.

"No... thanks, Starfire." Raven made her way over to the loveseat as Starfire, unphased, devoured the pudding.

Raven spoke up as she grabbed Robin's ankles and swung his legs off the loveseat. "There's something you guys should know," she said as she took a seat next to him. This was it, no turning back now.

Beast Boy hopped off Cyborg's head, shifting back to his human form. Starfire floated to a stop next to Beast Boy. Robin dropped the open magazine in his lap and looked over at Raven, his concern written on his face.

"What's up, Raven?" he asked.

"Yeah, you look pale. Even for you," Beast Boy chimed in. Cyborg elbowed him in the ribs.

Raven's stomach turned. "Guys, someone is stuck in my mind." She glanced around at her silent friends, her eyes coming to rest on Robin. "Someone dangerous."

Robin's eyebrow shot up. Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged worried glances. Starfire covered her mouth.

"Who is it, Raven?" Robin's tone changed from curious to concerned. Raven's pulse quickened, her stomach did another somersault. He knew. Robin's eyes locked with hers and she could see the hate in them.

Raven's voice, usually flat and indifferent, went soft. "It's Slade." Her heart pounded so hard that the blood rushing in her ears sounded like waves crashing against the shore. Starfire gasped. Beast Boy and Cyborg both jumped up as if to fight some unseen enemy. Robin leaned forward, placing his hands over the magazine in his lap.

"How do you know, Raven? Tell us what's going on." Robin spoke calmly, but Raven could see his hands clenched into fists.

Raven closed her eyes and began to explain. "A few nights ago I saw someone in my mind while I was meditating. I couldn't tell who it was. When I realized someone was there, it snapped me out of my trance. It scared me." She lowered her hood from her head and tucked her hair behind her ears as she continued, "I had a dream. Or… well, I thought it was a dream. I spoke to him, but I didn't know it was him. It was like my mind was stopping me from recognizing his voice." She took a deep breath.

"How do we stop him?" Robin asked, his agitation apparent, his tone as sharp as a knife. "How do you even know it's really Slade?" He practically spat the name.

Raven glanced away. "I've spoken with Slade. Face to face." She knew this part wasn't going to go over well. The other Titans, slowly backing away from Raven and Robin, had the same idea.

"You MET with Slade? Alone?! Raven you should have called us for backup. You know how dangerous he is!" Robin jumped to his feet, his face turning as red as his suit. "We could have taken him down!"

Raven's face regained its mask of calm. She knew he would react this way, and she wasn't going to be treated like a child. This was HER issue—Slade was in HER mind. "Robin, let me finish."

Robin sighed and paced back and forth for a moment before folding his arms over her chest and facing Raven. The others continued to listen, knowing better than to interrupt.

"He isn't there on purpose. When we destroyed Trigon and my powers were returned, the bond that Slade had with him was transferred to me." Robin gave Raven a skeptical look, but she ignored him and continued. "He's projected into my mind. He has no control over it. And he said he didn't enjoy being held against his will, so I don't think he can leave, either."

"This sounds like one of Slade's tricks. We can figure this out together, stop him, and put an end to everything." Robin spoke quickly and animatedly, his arms waving. Raven could tell he was already devising a plan.

"It's not that easy, Robin. If you kill him while he's linked to me, he could be trapped in my mind forever."

Robin stared at her, a pained expression on his face. He knew what it meant to be haunted by Slade. Again, Raven brushed off his gaze and continued explaining, "He said it was important that I remained in control. Something about not wanting the arrangements to become permanent." Raven shivered at the recollection, the sound of his voice twisted and roiled like a snake in her memory.

Robin knelt down before her. "We can help you, Raven. You don't have to face him alone."

Raven sat up straight, rubbing her sweating palm on her cloak. She knew Robin would be itching for a fight. "I'm not facing him, Robin. He's not after me. He could have killed me tonight. I attacked him, and he didn't attack back. This isn't a problem we can fight with weapons." Raven paused for a moment, looking around at her friends as she mustered the courage to make her most difficult admission. "We called a truce, just for as long as it takes to get this fixed. He can't sever the link without my help, and I don't want him in my mind. The longer he stays, the greater the risk to all of us. Especially you, Robin."

Robin's eyes went wide at the word "truce." Beast Boy hid behind Starfire, who was glancing worriedly between her two friends. Cyborg took another step back, his entire body tensed as though he expected a fight to break out any moment.

"You expect us to sit by and let Slade get his way?!" Robin leapt to his feet again, his fists clenched by his sides and his eyes narrowed into slits.

Raven stared back, her face and tone as expressionless as usual. "No, Robin. I expect you to let me handle this situation. It's my mind and none of you can help. No one belongs there. Not my friends and definitely not my enemies."

Robin was livid. His body practically shook with rage, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily. He turned around and walked to the window. "Did you forget that he's a psychopath? He's trying to destroy us. He's come pretty close before."

Raven fought not to express the guilt she felt at his words, maintaining her emotionless facade. "Did you forget that if it wasn't for his help, I wouldn't be here now? You can't help me this time. I don't want do what this, but there's no other way." She felt horrible, but she couldn't let it show. This was her problem, and no matter how much her friends cared or worried about her, they were powerless to help.

"One good deed doesn't make up for everything else he's done, Raven. Remember that." Robin stormed off, brushing past the others as he exited the living room. The discussion was over.

The other Titans stared at Raven, their eyes wide. Before anyone could say another word, Raven abruptly phased out of the room.


	7. A Leopard's Spots

Raven sat in lotus position, levitating over her bed. She was trying to meditate, but she couldn't clear her mind. Her friends' concerned faces kept floating across the darkness; Robin's cold tone echoed in her ears.

"Good evening, Ms. Roth. I see that you seem to be having some difficulties." Raven heard Slade's voice. Her eyes shot open and she glanced around her room. She considered looking under her bed, and heard him chuckle as soon as the thought crossed her mind.

"A monster I am, Raven, but hiding under the bed isn't my style." He sounded bemused, and Raven's ears burned at the thought of him making fun of her.

"What do you want, Slade? Where are you?" she demanded.

"Don't you recall me telling you not to let your emotions get the better of you?" Slade chided, as if scolding a child. "Well, you don't follow instructions very well, Ms. Roth. The bond has grown tighter."

"Tighter?" she asked, pulling her hood up over her head.

"How precious. You think your cloak will keep you safe. Yes, Ms. Roth. The greater the emotional response, the tighter the bond becomes. With each outburst, I become a little... closer to you." His voice was condescending as always. Her anger rose in her and she focused on it, pushing aside her other concerns.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos. Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." she began to chant, her eyes closing. She could see him standing on one of the paths. It was Slade, alright: mask and all. He was here, in her mind. The violated feeling of her sanctuary being so invaded washed over her again. It made her sick.

"How nice of you to join me here. Tell me, what's a lovely young woman like yourself doing in a place like this?" he teased as he strode towards her.

Her eyes began to glow white for a moment, but quickly faded back to violet. "If it's so important for me to remain calm, why do you keep pushing me?" She was trying very hard not to do something she'd regret later.

"A leopard never changes his spots, dear girl. You would never expect me to simply close my mouth and do what I'm told, did you?" He bent down, his face inches from hers. "Everything is a test, Raven. Every single move you make determines the path before you. Learn from it."

Raven closed her eyes. The world shifted around them without a sound. They were whisked to the rooftops of Jump City without so much as a whisper of movement. Together, they looked down on themselves the night Slade delivered Trigon's message. The memory played out before them exactly as it had that night, and so many nights since.

"You certainly relive this memory often. Why is that, I wonder?" Slade mused "No matter. At this rate, I'll know before you do."

Again, their surroundings changed. Quickly, silently, they were back on the same path in Raven's mind. Slade glanced at Raven and smirked. Her anger—or was it embarrassment?—was written on her face, replacing her stoic mask with an expression altogether different. Before he had the chance to say a word, a whip of black energy wrapped around his neck and yanked him forcefully to the ground.

Raven turned around and started to walk away. Slade was already on his feet. His single eye narrowed as he advanced on the girl. He reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair, jerking her head backwards. Raven's eyes went white as she cried out. A bolt of blue energy arced between them when they touched. It enveloped them for a moment before exploding in a silent flash and dissipating into the darkness.

Slade let go, his eyebrow arching in surprise behind his mask. Raven turned to face him, panting. "Do not touch me. Ever. Again." Her eyes returned to normal as she caught her breath.

"That's funny, Ms. Roth. I could have sworn-" Slade began, but was quickly cut off.

"I said NEVER AGAIN." Her voice rang in his ears. She vanished from sight.

Slade smirked behind his mask. If he had to suffer here, he wasn't going to suffer alone. He lowered his gaze and took a long, deep breath as he focused on the dark warehouse he had left behind in the physical world. As he felt his surroundings begin to shift, he allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. He was really getting the _hang_ of this…


	8. You have to want it

Raven's mind and body finally gave in to fatigue. She had been avoiding sleep, dreading the dreams that she knew would come. And come they did, nearly the instant she slipped away.

She walked down a narrow, black baron tree-lined path, until it opened into a large clearing. He stood in the middle, hands folded behind his back, facing away from her.

Raven wondered what he hid behind his mask. Some hideous deformity? Was he even human? Raven dismissed the thought quickly; she could care less. She wanted him out of her head.

"Slade," her voice did nothing to hide her irritation. "Enough games. This has to end."

Slade turned, deliberately slowly, to face her. He folded his arms across his chest, practically radiating amusement at her agitation. "You're very demanding, aren't you? Have you ever heard of the word 'please'?" Raven narrowed her eyes. "Ah, ah, ah." Slade shook a gloved finger at her. "Temper, temper."

She knew he was trying to upset her. She refused to be goaded by him anymore. "I don't beg, Slade."

"As I recall, you do." His mask shifted—another smirk crossing his lips. He leaned forward, staring straight through her eyes. "You have to want it, Raven. You can't break the bond unless you want to. _All_ of you has to want to."

"You think I like having you in my mind? You think I like my friends treating me like I'm about to explode?" She gawked at Slade in disbelief.

"My dear girl, you have a lot to learn about yourself." Slade stood up straight, his voice calm and even.

"What are you talking about?" Raven couldn't believe her ears. Was he really trying to convince her that she wanted him in her mind? He was insane, not stupid.

Slade started to walk away. Raven rolled her eyes before pursuing him quickly. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't just go strolling through my mind."

"Too late, Ms. Roth. I can explain things to you if you think you're ready to hear it." Slade stopped suddenly and wheeled around to face her. Raven took two steps back, put off by his discomforting gaze. She felt as though he could see right through her. "Father or not, Trigon had a hand in creating you. He was a part of you, and that part of you will always exist. No matter how hard you deny it, no matter how deep you try to bury it, it is always there." Raven balled up her fists, but her heart began to race. "That part of you will always beg for attention. It will grow louder and more insistent. That part of you wants me here, Raven. It knows that I understand. It's the part of you that keeps me here."

Raven glared at him, but couldn't muster a word. Part of her wanted to lash out, part of her wanted to run away. All she could do was shake her head.

"Yes, Raven. Remember that I've had time to get to know you rather intimately. Lying is pointless. Lying to me, at least." He folded his arms across his chest again, his eye glittering with amusement as he watched her.

Raven lowered her head. Her eyes began to glow white. "No," she growled, wisps of black energy forming around her hands. She'd had enough.

Slade crouched into a battle-ready stance, his eye narrowed at Raven. "It seems you need to be taught a lesson."

Raven sent several large blasts of energy towards Slade. He dodged the first two orbs gracefully, but the third came too quickly. He moved awkwardly to dodge it, but was a moment too low. The orb struck him square in the chest and knocked him to the ground. Raven rushed him, a whip of her dark energy flashing out and wrapping around his neck. In an instant, she had her knees on his chest, pinning him to the ground. She glared down at him, pure hatred surging through her veins. Slade struggled halfheartedly under her, chuckling softly.

"You can feel it now, can't you Raven? Intoxicating, isn't it?"

Raven's eyes turned crimson as she tightened the whip around his neck. Slade's eye went wide. With a motion quicker than should have been possible, he grabbed her wrists and twisted them painfully out to either side. Raven's eyes faded rapidly as she cried out in pain. He flipped her over and pinned her down by the wrists, his knee pushing against her abdomen.

"You will do no such thing, Ms. Roth. You are going to control yourself, is that clear? And you will keep your hands to yourself." Slade's voice was quiet but deadly serious.

Raven panted, struggling under him as she felt her anger slowly drain away. "Get... off. Now."

Slade looked into her eyes, his own eye narrowed to a slit and filled with chilling anger. Raven slowly stopped struggling, confused by Slade's intense focus. She wasn't sure what was going on, but Slade was clearly concentrating intently on something. In an instant, without a whisper of sound, he vanished.

Raven had no time to consider what his disappearance meant. She was exhausted from the mental struggle. Her dream went dark as she fell deeper into sleep.


	9. Pride

Slade looked over the edge of the warehouse, his eye taking in the expanse of Jump City. His gaze fell on Titan Tower, and his brow twisted in a deep frown. This wasn't at all what he had anticipated. As his gaze bore into the tower, his mind drifted back to Raven's dream and what he had seen.

There was a flash when he had touched her and his vision changed...

_He was shackled by her energy, but he didn't struggle. He merely watched. She gazed into his face. Her eyes burned with anger, but her voice was calm and soft—confident? "This is _my_ mind__._My_ rules." She removed his mask and dropped it to the floor at his feet. A triumphant smirk crossed her lips._

Slade tightened his fist as the vision continued...

_He should be angry. He should destroy her. He could break free easily. She had no real control over him. Yet he stared unmasked down into Raven's eyes. He was proud of her__—__he had pushed her to this and he had come along willingly. She was giving in. He broke free almost casually from her bond. Her eyes went wide as she realized his strength, that she was powerless to defend herself against him. She tried to back away, but he grabbed her and shoved her against the wall, pinning her there, his eye locked on hers..._

Slade shook his head. Her mind had to be putting forth that vision—that part of her that she denied. A result of him pushing her, perhaps. A twisted smile wound its way across his masked face. He would use this to his advantage, as usual. He thought about Robin and how angry he would be when he found out. Slade allowed himself a small chuckle as he imagined his former apprentice's beet-red face.

Raven woke up before any of the other Titans. She quietly crept into the kitchen and placed a kettle on the stove to boil. She sat and gazed into the cloud of steam that drifted up and disappeared as the water began to roll. She lost herself in her thoughts, searching for a way to force the previous night's dream from her mind. The kettle began to whistle, interrupting her reverie. She stood, crossed the kitchen, and removed it from the stove. With a yawn, she tipped the kettle to fill her cup.

"Good morning, Raven. I hope you slept... peacefully."

Startled, Raven dropped the kettle to the floor. She would never get used to the sound of his voice, so near and familiar. "What do you want, Slade?" she demanded as she started to mop up the mess. She couldn't hide the fact that her hands were shaking from the adrenaline of being surprised so.

"Do you want this to end, little girl?" Slade prodded her.

"I'm think I've already made that clear. You aren't helping." Raven didn't even try to hide the fact that she was annoyed by his presence.

"Oh, but I am helping, Raven. I intend to teach you how to reign in that part of you we discussed. I can teach you how to control it. But you must listen to me, and to be honest, Ms. Roth, you aren't proving to be a very good listener." Raven could hear the sarcasm in his tone. She felt heat spreading across her cheeks as her face flushed in frustration.

"Is this your way of asking me to trust you? We both know that's not happening," she spat back.

"I don't care if you trust me or not. The bond is growing stronger. Would you prefer to be stuck this way forever?"

He was pushing her, she knew, and it angered her more with every word he spoke. This time, she didn't answer. She was sick of talking to him; sick of feeling his presence in her mind.

"Allow me to point something out to you, little girl. You aren't using your lips to communicate with me." This time, he was certain he struck a nerve.

Raven had no idea where he was—he could be thousands of miles away, for all she knew—yet she was communicating with him effortlessly across that unknown distance without even trying to focus on him. It was as if he was a part of her. Her eyes went wide. The teacup in her hand turned black and shattered.

And Slade's chuckle echoed in her mind. "We will meet in the museum garden at eleven. Do not keep me waiting, Ms. Roth."


	10. Crossing the Line

Don't know Teen Titans.

* * *

Raven stood in the doorway of the living room, watching her friends enjoy each other's company. She cleared her throat, and the Titans turned to face her. "I'll be back later. I have my communicator if something comes up." Robin turned away almost immediately. Starfire's eyes were wide as she gazed at Raven with concern.

"And you call us if you should need our assistance, Raven," the young alien girl called out, her voice quavering with worry.

Cyborg and Beast Boy glanced at each other and shook their heads after watching Raven leave. Robin avoided everyone's gaze, stood up quickly, and left the room.

Raven sat in the garden, surrounded by statues that seemed to glow with the moon's ghostly light. A shadow fell across her and she looked up suddenly, causing her hood to slip from her head. Just a cloud, lazily crossing the path of the moon. 10:55...

Cloaked in shadow, Slade watched her from the far corner of the garden. She had come, and early. He wondered how well she would obey once he'd properly broken her in. This was almost too easy.

"I know you're watching, Slade. I can feel you." Raven didn't turn her gaze away from the moon as she spoke. Silhouetted against the silver moon, she sat nearly as still as the statues that surrounded her.

Slade stepped out from the shadows and approached her. "Get up, we're leaving." His voice was firm, his eye unblinking as he stared down at her.

Raven narrowed her eyes. "We're leaving?"

"Would you like me to drag you by your ankles, Ms. Roth? That can be arranged." He narrowed his eye in return.

"Where are we going?" She slowly rose to her feet, not breaking eye contact with him. She knew better than to trust him.

"You're going to take us to the abandoned warehouse on the east side of town. The roof." Slade folded his arms over his chest.

Raven gaped at him as if he'd asked her to conjure a demon. "I'm doing what, exactly?"

"You're going to phase us from here to there. You really do have a hard time listening." He stood over her, arms crossed, unmoving.

She glared up at him defiantly, clearly meaning to resist his order. In the pale moonlight, Slade noticed her cheeks already turning pink in anger.

"I'm waiting, Ms. Roth." Raven could hear the smug half-smile that was almost certainly crossing whatever face he hid behind his mask.

Raven sighed, stepped close to him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. She closed her eyes to block out the sight of him. She didn't want this etched in her mind, but her other senses quickly took over for her. She felt how solid he was, how warm. Interesting, she had always imagined he would be cold, lifeless. The air around them was perfectly still, and she could smell him. She had to will herself not to shiver. Raven lived with teenage boys who generally smelled like candy and hair gel—or worse. Slade smelled… different. Dark, musky, and strangely inviting.

He looked down at her and noticed the color on her cheeks. She was clearly uncomfortable, as he had known she would be. He waited for a long, awkward moment to pass before speaking. "Enjoying yourself, Raven?" Her face turned a deeper shade of red, bringing a satisfied smirk to Slade's face.

Raven glared straight ahead, her eyes screwed shut. Neither she nor Slade felt the ethereal raven wrap its black wings around them. It collapsed in on itself, and they were gone.

They reappeared ten feet above the warehouse roof. The raven vanished, and Raven was relieved to immediately unwrap her arms from Slade's waist. He dropped unceremoniously to the roof and landed with a thud as Raven slowly lowered herself to the ground.

"Is that any way to treat your teacher?" He climbed to his feet and brushed past her, walking towards a hatch in the floor. He propped the door open and stood beside it, waiting.

Raven shrugged at him and strode by, walking down the stairs into the warehouse. It was largely empty, save for a desk and a few stray boxes. Several support beams lay scattered across the room. She glanced around, quickly taking note of any exits. Aside from where she came in, she spotted a set of stairs set back near a wall. The room was totally devoid of windows. _I can phase if I need to_, she thought to herself, then rolled her eyes with a sigh. Slade could hear her thoughts, and he was surely listening.

Slade walked up behind her, his stance slightly more relaxed than it had been on the roof. "Are you ready for your first lesson, Ms. Roth?"

Raven exhaled heavily, pointedly looking away.

He leaned in closely, his voice dangerously close to her ear as he spoke to her. "You have to accept that it's part of you, Raven. Acknowledge it."

She tilted her head down and closed her eyes, shaking her head almost imperceptibly. "I can't. That's not who I am."

He continued, his face so close to hers that she could feel his breath on her skin when he spoke. "There is a difference between who you are and what you are. Once you accept what you are, you're one step closer to controlling it. Feel its power, draw from it."

She closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath. She could feel it, buried away but calling out to her. It called for power and release, to rule and destroy.

"No!" Raven gasped. She jerked herself back to her senses, her eyes flying open. She whirled around to face Slade and began to chant, "Azarath Metr-"

Slade tackled her to the ground, ending her chant in an abrupt grunt, and covered her mouth with his hand. "If you want to play rough, we'll play, Ms. Roth. You will not like the way this ends." Raven struggled against him like an animal caught in a trap. She tried desperately to summon enough energy to blast him away, but her heart pounded in her ears, shattering her focus.

Slade lowered his face to hers, his voice calm and deadly. "Tap into it to get past me, or I'll destroy you. Consequences or not. And when I'm done with you, your friends will be next."

Something inside Raven snapped. Her eyes narrowed, her body went perfectly still, her heart slowed. She suddenly knew that it was time for her to put Slade in his place, to show him that he had no power over her. She sent a blast of energy from her entire body that sent Slade flying backwards. His body crashed against one of the support posts.

She lashed several whips of crimson energy at him. They coiled around his neck and wrists, pulling him up off the floor and binding his wrists behind his back. Raven's face was a mask of eerie, murderous calm. She even moved differently—her movements were fluid and imposing as she attacked without feeling. As she bore down on him, Slade thought for a moment he may have pushed too far.

He had to admit, as he watched her approach, she was an impressive sight. The power emanating from her was tangible, but raw and untamed. He could break free at any moment. For the moment, he chose to enjoy what he had done. "Go ahead, Raven. Take what you want." It was a challenge, not a request.

Raven gazed at him, her eyes filled with anger that flickered like tongues of flame. The bonds around his wrists tightened. Her voice was thick and husky when she spoke. "As you wish."

She reached up and pulled the mask from his face. It fell to the floor with a loud "CLANG!" that echoed throughout the warehouse. His hair was white and wavy, mussed from being under the mask. His right eye hid beneath a simple, unadorned black patch, and a web of scars lined the right side of his face. He wore a white goatee that went just past his chin. He had a well-defined neck that bore its own random network of scars. He was well beyond her years, but somehow ageless. Raven gazed at him triumphantly, but only for a moment. She realized what she had done and who was standing before her. The subtle hand that had been guiding her motions disappeared like a whisper, leaving her confused and disoriented.

Slade took advantage of her distraction and easily broke free from his crimson bonds. He rushed forward and slammed into Raven, catching her completely off guard. His body collided with hers and he kept charging forward, picking her up in his momentum. He crushed her body against the wall and kept her pinned up against him. She panted and writhed, struggling to get out from underneath him. _Such a lovely sight_, he thought to himself.

"Azarath, Metrion—" Slade pressed his lips against hers, cutting her off. The world spun around Raven wildly. She closed her eyes, but she still felt his weight, his warmth. She could still smell him. She returned the kiss.

He was slightly taken aback when he felt her return the kiss. He had expected a struggle, yet she met him with a light, almost timid, kiss. He attempted to deepen the kiss, but she wouldn't part her lips. He growled against her lips and tightened his grasp on her. She quickly gave in and let his tongue seek out hers. Her body relaxed against his.

Raven's eyes shot open, the realization of what she was doing setting in in an instant. A huge, twisted knot of panic formed in her chest. She broke the kiss and sent a wave of energy at Slade strong enough to send him flying all the way across the warehouse and crashing into the opposite wall. She advanced on him, sending another barrage of black energy towards him.

He dodged the next assault and lobbed a smoke bomb in her direction. Raven was blinded. She spun around, every muscle in her body tense, determined not to be surprised. She heard him chuckle. After what seemed like an eternity, the smoke began to clear. Slade was nowhere to be found.

Raven glanced around the warehouse skeptically, certain that he was somewhere close. Something cold and hard hit the base of her neck. The floor rose up to greet her, and the world went black.


	11. Shame

Raven awoke under the same silver moon on the roof of Titan Tower. Her head pounded and screamed in protest as she struggled to recall the night's events. She remembered Slade standing amongst the statues in the moonlit garden. She remembered, with a slight shudder, wrapping her arms around him and phasing to the warehouse. Something had happened there—Slade had moved her to anger somehow—and she looked back on the memories of her outburst as though they belonged to someone else. She took off his mask. He attacked her. No, he didn't attack her, he _kissed_ her. And she kissed him back. The rooftop started to spin around her, and she felt as though someone were hammering on her temples. She needed tea.

Raven climbed gingerly to her feet. The ground lurched beneath her. She staggered her way across the roof and slowly made her way back inside the tower.

Fortunately, the Tower was dark and quiet, apparently devoid of the other Titans. Raven made herself a cup of tea and sipped it as she carefully made her way through the dim hallway to her room. She placed the cup on the bedside table and collapsed on her bed. She covered her head with her pillow, shutting her eyes against the faint moonlight filtering through her window. _What did he do to me?_

"I told you to take what you wanted. That's exactly what you got." Raven groaned under her pillow at the sound of his voice. Her fists clenched around handfuls of bedsheets.

"You kissed me, Slade. All of this is your doing." Her own thoughts made her head throb harder.

"I gave you what you wanted. And you returned the favor, Ms. Roth. As I recall, you enjoyed it." Raven could sense the smug satisfaction in his thoughts.

"That wasn't me. I wasn't myself last night." Raven couldn't help but wonder if she was trying to convince Slade or herself. She tried to discipline her mind, but his unmasked face kept drifting across her thoughts.

Slade's chuckle echoed through her head. "I find it amusing that you continue to lie to me even though I'm _inside your mind_. It's not as though you have anywhere to hide the truth from me."

"Shut up!" The mirror of the vanity across Raven's bedroom split with a large crack.

"Last night was just the beginning. Things will get worse if we don't remedy this soon. Unless you're interested in seeing what that entails, I'd suggest you steel yourself and push forward." The cruel playfulness vanished from his tone. Raven gave a small shiver at the thought of how this situation could possibly get any worse.

She needed time to clear her mind. She had been under constant stress since Slade came back into her life. She was beginning to think the stress was to blame for her strange behavior. She would never have kissed Slade back—never even agreed to meet him alone at the garden—under normal circumstances. "I need to meditate, Slade. Will you leave me alone long enough for that?"

He didn't answer; apparently, he was already gone. Raven let out a sigh of relief and began her familiar chant. Clearing her mind proved nearly impossible. She couldn't shed the confused thoughts racing through her head. The distractions in her mind prevented her from slipping into her trance-like meditative state. She grew frustrated and impatient, the angry buzzing of those emotions adding to the discord that drowned out her chant. Slade was probably listening to her thoughts right now, laughing at her. She grit her teeth and forced herself to focus. Before long, she was standing before a mirror shard along one of the many winding paths in her mind.

Raven held the shard in her hand and looked on as her memory unfolded in the glass. She watched herself approach Slade, saw herself remove his mask. She heard the clang—much softer than she remembered it—of the metal mask hitting the floor. Raven stopped the memory and turned her focus on Slade. She took a deep breath, willing the hand holding the shard to stop trembling. She was in no hurry to relive this moment, was she? Her face flushed and she forced the thought from her mind.

Raven returned her focus to Slade's unmasked face. He wore his stark white hair in short waves, which were pushed slightly out of place by his mask. A single stray lock brushed the top of the black eyepatch he wore over his right eye. His brow was lined, but not with age. Scars ran down the right side of his cheek, gradually fading as they reached the full, white goatee that framed his lips.

Raven's fists tightened. In just a moment, those lips would be on hers and she wouldn't do anything to fight it. The thought made her stomach tighten. She took a deep, cleansing breath. She couldn't change this memory, but she would never allow it to happen again. She would kill him if she had to, even if it meant living with his ghost. At least he couldn't touch her again.

The memory in the shard came back to life in her hand. She released it and turned away. The scene continued playing to no one, suspended in midair.

Raven pulled herself from her meditation and buried her face in her pillow. She screwed her eyes shut and attempted to will herself into unconsciousness. Her eyelids were no match for the memory of Slade's unmasked face. Her cheeks flushed the slightest hint of pink as it swam across her thoughts again. And again, and again…


	12. Trouble

Raven carried her empty teacup to the kitchen the next morning. She decided she was going to let her friends know she was fine, not brainwashed or possessed by Slade. Robin would probably act like she didn't exist. He was livid, and she really couldn't blame him.

The communicator on her cloak came to life suddenly, flashing wildly. "Trouble," Raven murmured to herself. She quickly made her way into the briefing room, where the other Titans were already gathered. A large red dot flashed on the screen before them.

"It's that giant white creep again," Cyborg groaned. "He's wrecking downtown!"

"Titans, GO!" shouted Robin. He ran past Raven without so much as a second glance. Raven didn't have time to feel bad about it. Starfire gave her a worried look as she rushed off after the others. Raven hurried after her.

Cyborg was right: the White Monster had returned, and was making a total wreck of downtown Jump City. The Titans jumped into the fray and began trading blows with the creature immediately. Raven focused on the battle, her other concerns fading into the back of her mind. It felt good to work with her teammates again.

The Titans had the monster surrounded. Cyborg was an instant away from blasting a hole in it with his plasma cannon. Without warning, the monster dissolved itself into the pavement and slithered away right out from under them.

"Titans, split up!" ordered Robin. They each went in separate directions.

Raven found herself between several tall buildings. The street around her was quiet, but she knew not to rely on sound alone. She levitated towards the top of the buildings, hoping to get a better vantage point. Everything looked clear. She let out a sigh and relaxed slightly. She barely heard the quiet shuffling sound right behind her, and spun to face it a moment too late.

The White Monster crouched at the edge of one the rooftops, its skin having taken on the mottled grey of the building's galvanized steel. It leapt at her from above, arms extended. Raven hastily attempted to summon a forcefield around herself, but she was caught off guard and a moment too late. The creature hit her full force and barreled towards the ground with her. She struggled to free herself—the monster would crush her when it landed on her.

Something wrapped around the creature's throat from behind and suddenly yanked it backwards, causing it to release Raven. She tried frantically to levitate or to slow her fall somehow, but she was out of time. She hit the ground with a sickening "THUD!" Stars burst across her vision, and her ears rang loud enough to block out all other sound. She saw the creature struggling with someone or something, but her vision slowly started to fade. The back of her head was warm and wet, and she suddenly felt very tired. She closed her eyes and drifted peacefully into unconsciousness.


	13. Savior

Slade glared down at the scene unfolding before him. _How very stupid of her, _he thought to himself as he unwound a cable from his belt. He hooked the end to one of the many steel poles lining the rooftop and leapt off the side. He quickly caught up to the falling pair, landed on the monster's back, and looped his slack cable around its neck. With the press of a button, he halted the unwinding of the cable, causing him and the monster to be jerked violently to a stop. The creature struggled against him frantically. Slade caught a glimpse of Raven as she fell hard to the pavement below.

Slade's eye narrowed for a moment as he returned his attention to the creature. Before he could react, the monster morphed into a gelatinous white fluid and dropped to the ground. It landed with a splat and slithered into a nearby storm drain.

Slade gave the cable a sharp tug and lowered himself quickly to the ground. He detached the cable from his belt and knelt down beside Raven's still form. He glanced around for the other Titans as he felt for her pulse. It was there, but weak—she was likely in shock and was losing a lot of blood. He scooped her up off the ground, cradling her neck in the crook of his elbow. He would have to move her quickly. "Very foolish, Ms. Roth. You're trying to kill us both."

He reattached the cable to his belt and held her in his arms as they rose steadily to the roof top. Slade looked around for the Titans again—still no sign of them. "This would be much easier if you weren't napping," he scowled at the unconscious girl. He took off across the rooftops of Jump City, cradling her like a child, taking care to travel as gently as possible.

_Was she dreaming again? His now-familiar smell was close to her, and she could feel him. She heard his voice, but the words didn't make sense. She loathed this man yet his voice was… soothing. She felt his arms around her—not out of affection. It was a possessive embrace, like he was protecting some lifeless object. She didn't care. Her head pounded and she could see nothing but darkness. This was a very strange dream..._

Slade looked down at the girl when they reached the warehouse roof. He could hear her thoughts—faint, but whispering through her dazed mind. He smirked to himself as he carried her to the rooftop elevator, selecting one of the building's middle floors. He would have to remember to mention those thoughts to her when she woke up.

The elevator doors slid open on a veritable operating room. Bright lights shone down on the collection of medical equipment, stainless steel tables, and trays laden with surgical instruments that occupied the center of the room. The corners of the room sat in darkness—this room clearly had a singular purpose. Slade strode across the floor and placed the still-unconscious girl on a gurney. He immediately set to work on her prone form, deftly wrapping a tourniquet around her arm. With one quick, precise injection, he threaded an IV catheter into her vein. He hung a small, clear bag from pole on the bed and connected her IV line to it. He grabbed a small syringe from a tray near the bed and injected it into a small port on the line. Every motion was nimble, practiced, and steady.

Raven's body went limp. Slade unfastened her cloak and deactivated her communicator before sliding the garment out from under her. He slit open the top of her body suit and placed several leads on her skin. He hooked an oxygen mask over her face and listened for a hiss as he turned it on.

A quick glance at the monitor connected to the leads—Slade was satisfied with what he saw, He draped several blankets over Raven, stood upright, and allowed himself a moment to catch his breath as he monitored her. He wasn't concerned with stitches or broken bones—her mind would heal her body for her. First, her brain needed time to heal from the trauma.

He settled into a padded chair near the monitors. Raven was safe, would heal in time, and now owed him her life, but Slade was otherwise displeased with the entire situation. She was being careless—reckless—and putting him at risk as a result. Perhaps he should keep her here until she had learned how to break the bond. Then again, he was well aware of the destruction she was capable of when suitably provoked. He imagined her bringing down the warehouse around their ears when he informed her she couldn't leave. Maybe he should consider another alternative.

Slade gazed thoughtfully at Raven's unconscious form, watching her chest rise and fall evenly. Convinced she wouldn't need any immediate attention, he stood and strode to a desk outside the room's brightly-lit center. A laptop sat open, the screen shining brightly in the dim light of the darkened corner, upon the desk's surface. Slade dropped into the chair at the desk and began to type furiously, pausing periodically to study the screen.

A faint whisper in the back of his mind, and the keys fell silent as he glanced up from his work. His eye fell on Raven, whose quiet thoughts he had again overheard, and a smug grin tugged on his features.

_Slade's lips on mine…_


	14. Surrender

I don't own Teen Titans. This chapter was censored for your viewing pleasure. It was way better before I had to cut out the good parts.

* * *

Raven opened her eyes and squinted against the bright, sterile lights blazing down on her. Every inch of her battered body ached and felt heavy with grogginess. She pushed a scratchy blanket off of her body and found herself wrapped in some sort of flexible tape. Her clothes were missing. An IV line sprouted from her arm and electrode leads covered her like vines. A wave of dizziness crashed over her. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard against the sensation of nausea that followed. _What happened to me?_

"In a typical display of defiance, you did exactly what I told you not to do. You almost got yourself killed." Slade's voice, cool and matter-of-fact, sounded from a chair close to the bed.

Raven managed to push herself up on her elbows, despite her body's screams of protest. She gritted her teeth, ignoring the white spots dancing at the edges of her vision, and glanced over at Slade. "Why didn't you leave me? The others would have found me and kept me safe."

Slade's voice went cold, "If I'd left you for your precious friends to find, the beast would have finished you off. I'm not ready to die for your carelessness." Slade stood up and closed off the IV line. Raven eyed him cautiously as he took her arm in his hand. He yanked back the tape securing the catheter, causing her to inhale sharply through her teeth. Slade held a patch of gauze over the injection site as he carefully withdrew the small piece of plastic from her arm. He quickly wrapped the gauze with more tape, then set about disconnecting the line from the bag of saline hanging from the post on Raven's bed.

She looked down at her arm, then back up at him as he disposed of the used IV line in a red bin. He answered her unspoken question.

"Your brain suffered too much trauma to help you heal yourself. You went into shock and needed support. You are a very lucky girl, Ms. Roth." He folded his arms over his chest—was he scolding her?

Part of her wanted to mouth off at him, but Raven knew he was right. She could be dead right now. She glanced away from him and noticed a pile of blood-stained sheets in a hamper across from her bed. Her eyes went wide. "I should get back to the tower."

"I think you'll find that quite impossible for now. Your body is weak and your mind is in no condition to phase you anywhere. You'll stay here until you are strong enough to leave on your own." Slade stared down at her, as if daring her to say otherwise. "Don't mistake my assistance for caring. I simply prefer not to die due to your poor judgment."

She was too tired to argue with him. She laid back gingerly on the gurney, wishing she could slip back into unconsciousness. He stood beside the bed, watching her. She glanced up at his mask, the image of his face without it swimming across her mind as the world began to spin around her. "Slade?" she called out softly as her mind began to spiral back into oblivion.

He leaned down close in order to hear her, tilting his ear to her face. "What is it, Ms. Roth?"

"I hate you." Her eyes slid closed.

Slade chuckled as he stood up. "Somehow I don't believe you, Ms. Roth," he commented as he walked away.

Raven woke up suddenly to a feeling of pressure and tugging at her body. She kept her eyes closed, forcing herself to remain calm. She heard a tearing noise—someone was pulling away the wrapping on her body. She opened her eyes and found Slade standing over her, removing the tape from her form. She shouted and blasted him in the chest with an orb of black energy that sent him flying across the room. Raven immediately pulled up the sheet around herself, concealing her body.

Slade smacked against the far wall with a grunt. He stood up quickly and brushed himself off. She must be feeling better—good. She would have to pay for that outburst. He made his way back to the bed. "Glad to see you're back to your old self again, Ms. Roth. Let's make sure your mind and body are where they need to be, shall we?"

Raven watched as he approached, struggling to defend both herself and her modesty. She fired another dark orb at him as he closed in on her, but he dodged it gracefully and grabbed ahold of her ankles.

Slade yanked on her body, pulling her down to the foot of the bed. His eye narrowed down at her, his face just inches from hers. "You have a lot to learn about gratitude. Let this be your first lesson."

Raven's mind was still groggy, but she knew she was in danger. He grabbed her by the throat, his large hand wrapping easily around her neck. Her eyes widened with panic. She flailed helplessly against his grip, managing only to grab his mask and tear it from his face. Slade smirked at her and wrapped an arm around her waist, hoisting her up from the bed. His hand still wrapped around her neck, he pinned her against the wall with his body. He gave her just enough room to breathe. His lips curled in a twisted smile. "Apologize."

Raven sneered at him. "For what? You were undressing me." She struggled against him, trying to buy herself some time. If she could just focus long enough...

"For your information, little girl, I was changing your bandages." His eye fixed on hers, and she stopped struggling for a moment. Slade listened to her thoughts as she carefully chose her words.

"I don't need your help getting changed. I don't want to be touched. Let. Me. Go," she spat through gritted teeth.

Slade chuckled darkly, "Ms. Roth, you're lying to me again." He pressed himself against her and loosened his grip on her neck. "Now, you'll need to apologize and tell the truth, or you'll be spending the night pinned against this wall."

Raven glared at him, but barely managed to suppress a shiver. That part of her was calling out again...

Slade could hear it calling, too. He tightened his grip on her neck and whispered into her ear, "Tell me what you _really_ want, Raven." His breath was hot against her ear. He felt her nude body tremble between him and the wall. He smirked again as he felt her give in.

The two of them were left panting. His forehead rested against hers, a victorious look on his face. "Very good, little girl. I was almost impressed." He pulled himself away from her and let her drop to the floor.


	15. Possession

I don't own Teen Titans.

* * *

Raven closed her eyes and took a deep, ragged breath. She had betrayed her friends—betrayed herself—and it was _his_ fault. She felt sick to her stomach every time she so much as thought about what had happened. She was weak, she had just suffered serious head trauma, he could have drugged her…

She returned to the tower the same night. The other Titans were worried sick. They had searched for her non-stop for the few days she was gone. Raven made up the best excuse she could—she told them she needed time alone to try and fix the situation with Slade—without mentioning that he had been nursing her back to health all along. She felt Robin staring straight through her and was convinced he didn't believe a word. He left the room wordlessly after hearing her explanation.

Raven felt as though she were suffocating under the mounting weight of her guilt. She would make Slade pay. She would get her vengeance and end this whole ordeal. The part of her she tried so desperately to ignore called out to her. It would help her get exactly what she wanted. She would embrace it and destroy him, if that was what it took.

Slade heard every thought and smiled.

Raven phased herself to the roof of the warehouse. Her head spun for a moment, her mind still weak from her recent injuries. She closed her eyes and found her center. She focused on her thirst for revenge—Slade wouldn't get the best of her again. She found the door propped open, awaiting her arrival, and her resolve threatened to cave in.

"It's rude to lurk in doorways," Slade's voice, cold and mocking, sounded from inside.

Raven drew a deep breath and started down the stairs. A hundred stairs? A thousand? She finally reached the bottom and found the room lit only by the small lamp on Slade's desk and the bluish glow of the laptop before him. He leaned back in his chair, watching the screen with a satisfied smile.

"Slade." Raven's voice was frigid, her body numb. The darkness within her roared. It all but demanded she strike him down.

"Come to get your revenge, little one?" Slade asked without looking up from the screen. His arms rested on the sides of his chair, his fingers steepled before his unmasked face. Raven's stomach tightened, but she forced back the roiling, twisting tide of memories of their night together before it could rise to the surface of her mind.

"You took something from me. You manipulated me. You took advantage of me. I never would have..." She shook her head. "Why did you do it?" Her voice was calm, but it quavered with barely-controlled rage.

"My dear girl, you _let_ it happen." Slade never looked up from the screen. "You enjoyed it as much as I did. Every… last..."

"You drugged me," Raven cut him off. Her hands clenched into fists, her nails biting into her palms. _Make him pay_.

Slade finally glanced up at her, his face illuminated by the ghostly glow of his laptop. "Why would I do such a thing when the truth is so much more fun?"

Raven forced herself to remain calm. This was his game, she knew—he was trying to get to her. She wouldn't allow herself to be baited anymore.

"Accept it, Ms. Roth," Slade said, an almost sympathetic smile crossing his face. "You gave in to your desires. You liked giving yourself to me because you knew it was wrong."

Raven's head began to spin and she felt her heart drop into her stomach. Her pulse quickened and her voice shook with anger. "I hate you."

"Wrong again," Slade smirked as he stood up. "You're so busy denying the truth that you seem to have forgotten. I am inside your head." He leaned against the side of the desk, watching the growing anger spread across her face. "I haven't given you a reason to be angry. Not yet."

Raven's eyebrow arched as Slade turned the laptop to face her. He struck a key and leaned back, his arms folded over his chest expectantly.

Raven watched, horrified, as the screen displayed what had transpired between them. She heard her own voice, husky and thick with passion, call out, "I belong to you, Slade! I'm yours…" Her heart sank.

"I believe we can reach some kind of arrangement, can't we, Raven?" Slade asked, a smug grin spreading across his face.

Raven's blood went cold. She should have seen this coming. She was trapped, and there was only one way out.

"You can accept that, as you said, you belong to me, and do as I say. Or, I can send the evidence of your betrayal to your friends. If you cooperate, I'll take the control you give me and break the bond myself. When I'm ready to, that is." He chuckled as Raven formed orbs of black energy over her hands. "You think I didn't anticipate your reaction? Destroy that laptop and our little video will be sent from someplace else immediately." His little grin grew wider and infinitely less pleasant. "I have you exactly where I want you, Raven."

The energy around her hands suddenly flickered and turned a deep crimson. She turned to the laptop, her face a mask of calm. "Azarath. Metrion..." Slade smirked at her, certain she was about to seal her own fate. "ZINTHOS!" Raven sent a stream of fiery red energy straight at him. Slade was caught off guard and blown to the ground. The crimson energy immediately broke apart and bound his wrists and ankles to the ground.

Slade struggled against his bonds. He looked up at Raven and quickly probed her mind. She had given herself over to the dark power she had tried so hard to repress. The raw energy emanating from her was violent and intense. Slade was impressed. As powerful as she was, he knew he would have no trouble manipulating her. Still, he kept up the struggle for appearances' sake. He glared at her as she approached. "Are you going to destroy me, little girl?" he asked her in a mocking, singsong tone.

"I'm going to make you pay for what you did," she glared back, her eyes filled with angry tears.

"Oh, what's wrong? Did I upset you by telling you the truth? Would you prefer that I lie to you, like you lie to your friends?" He felt her start to buckle, the bonds on his hands and feet weakened noticeably. That would do nicely.

Raven stood over him, her lips set in a tight, thin line. She formed an orb of glowing red energy between her hands, growing it larger and larger. As she focused on her coup de grace, she didn't notice Slade dislodge his ankles from the bonds. He kicked out the back of one leg hard enough to force her to her knees. He broke his wrists free before she even hit the ground. In an instant, he tackled her and pinned her down.

Slade chuckled at Raven, his eye roaming over her face. "Very good, little girl. Most impressive." She writhed under him. "Now, what were you going to do? Destroy me? Before you doom yourself to my constant presence in your fragile little mind, allow me to show you the truth."

He rolled over onto his back and pulled her on top of him so that she straddled him in a sitting position. He placed his hands behind his head and looked up at her expectantly. "Well?" he asked, his brow raised. Raven stared at him as if he'd grown another head. "I've made it easy for you. What are you waiting for?" His voice was calm, confident, infuriating.

He had given her ultimate control of the situation. Why did she feel completely powerless?

"You can't do it because you know the truth. Killing me would ensure that you would indeed be stuck with me forever. You know I understand the power within you. You enjoyed giving in to it and giving yourself to me. You love the thrill of it. You don't hate me, Raven. Quite the contrary. You're too fascinated by all of this. And that is why you can't stop me. Or yourself. " He continued as he stared up at her. "Like it or not, you need me. That part of you threatens to consume you, and that is a threat to the entire world."

"And what do you get out of it?" Raven glared back at him. Her heart felt as though it might drop out of the bottoms of her feet. He was right, and if she knew it, so did he.

"My reasons are my own, Raven. They don't concern you." His voice was as smooth as an oil slick, and every bit as dangerous,

"I won't steal for you." Raven folded her arms over her chest.

"I wouldn't dream of asking, dear girl. But you _will_ do as I say or there will be consequences." He said, nodding towards the laptop on the desk.

"I won't—" Before she could continue, Slade cut her off by grabbing her by the throat and pulling her face to his.

"You _will,_ Ms. Roth. It is _that_ kind of attitude that's going to land you in trouble."

Raven glared at him in return, her eyes bulging slightly as he cut off her airway.

"You will do as I say," he repeated as he brushed his lips against hers, "and you will always tell the truth."

Raven tried to pull back, but he tightened his grip around her throat and kissed her hard. Not a gesture of affection, but one of possession.

* * *

Sorry for the delay. I promise the next chapter won't be that long.


	16. Bait

I don't own Teen Titans.

* * *

Robin sat awake and alone, the only restless Titan in the tower. He watched the icon for Raven's communicator on the screen before him—stationary, as it had been for hours. He knew she was with Slade. He could feel it. His eyes narrowed as he committed the glowing map on the screen to memory. He would strike tonight, rescue Raven, and put an end to Slade's mayhem.

Robin jumped from rooftop to rooftop, adrenaline pulsing through his body and driving him onward. He was looking forward to this fight. Slade would finally pay.

Robin landed softly on the roof of the warehouse, his bo-staff clutched tightly in his hand. He slipped silently towards the stairs. As he reached the top step, he heard a girl cry out. _Raven!_ He caught himself an instant before he charged down the stairs. _What if it's a trap?_ He carefully, quietly made his way down into the darkness instead.

He froze the instant he reached the bottom step. His cheeks turned a deep scarlet red. Raven wasn't with Slade at all, but she was definitely _with_ someone—on top of someone, in fact. He averted his eyes from the sight of his naked, sweat-slick friend, cursing himself for overreacting. He quickly turned back to the stairs (preparing to creep up them, then run back to Titan Tower and hide from Raven for a week), when he heard the voice. Slade's voice.

Robin's heart froze in his chest. His entire body stiffened. "Do it, Raven. Now," Slade's voice commanded in his unmistakable level, soft baritone. Robin tightened his jaw and looked over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. He knew what he saw was real, but he didn't want to believe it. Then he heard Raven's voice, husky and breathless, call out, "Slade! I'm yours..."

Slade chuckled at her. He coaxed her on in a mocking tone, "Good girl. You're learning to listen."

Robin stomach turned. His heart raced and his mouth filled with a metallic taste. He wanted to attack—to kill Slade right there in front of her—but he was sure he was about to be sick. He would likely get himself killed. Numb with rage and shock, he decided to stagger his way back up the stairs as stealthily as he could before he was discovered.

Slade watched Robin's cape flutter up the stairs, just as he had watched the Boy Wonder creep into the room moments earlier. Slade smiled against Raven's neck and dug his fingers into the pale skin of her waist. Everything was in place…

Later, Slade glanced down at Raven shivering on the floor. His mind was already on the next step: Robin knew. Raven wouldn't be a Titan for long.

He turned to leave the room, but called over his shoulder to the girl trembling in his wake, "Don't get up. I'm not through with you yet."

* * *

_That's right. I went there. _Thank you for all the reviews. Greatly appreciated.


	17. Welcome Home

I don't own Teen Titans. Sorry for the lack of updateyness. I've been very busy doing very nerdy things.

* * *

The next day, Raven returned to a quiet Titan Tower. Slade had meant what he said when he told her he wasn't through with her. He had been relentless until the early hours of the morning, and Raven was sorer than she would have ever imagined possible.

She found the other Titans seated in the living room. No one said a word to her when she entered. They looked at her, then at Robin, their faces were drawn and worried. Starfire had obviously been crying. Beast Boy gave Raven a scathing glance, then looked away, a sad look of defeat returning to his face.

A knot formed immediately in Raven's stomach—something was definitely wrong. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Why don't you tell us, Raven?" Robin asked as he stood up, his voice trembling with barely-concealed anger.

Raven's heart froze in her chest—Slade had sent the video anyway. He had taken what he wanted and betrayed her just the same. _I'll kill him._

Slade's voice echoed in her mind, "No, Raven. You're mistaken. And you'll do no such thing. Ask Robin where he was last night. Save your anger for your so-called friend."

Raven turned to face Robin. "What are you talking about?"

"I know where you've been, Raven. You betrayed us! How could you?!" Robin shouted.

Raven's head began to spin, her heart threatened to pound out of her chest. "Ask him, Raven. He says you betrayed them. But he's the one who betrayed you." Slade's voice in her mind grew stern, as though he were issuing an order to her.

"You were spying on me?" Raven asked, unable to hide the anger in her voice.

"Spying on you? I came to help you! I came to end everything and found you sleeping with Slade! Our enemy! The monster who tried to destroy us—tried to destroy YOU, Raven! It looks like he's succeeded." Robin crossed his arms.

Raven stared at him wordlessly, unable to offer an explanation. Was she supposed to defend herself? They wouldn't understand.

"You're right. They wouldn't understand, and they don't care to hear your side." Slade sounded almost sympathetic, but even in her mind, Raven could almost hear the usual cat-and-mouse-like toying tone of his voice

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself? He's gotten to you, Raven. You let him..." Raven could hear the pain in Robin's voice, but his face was a mask of determination. Jaw set, lips drawn in a tight line—he had clearly made up his mind about what he had to do. "Get your things and get out. Give me your communicator." Robin held out his hand.

The other Titans sat in silence, looking everywhere but at Raven. She stood absolutely still, glaring back at Robin.

"It was fine when he left you, wasn't it? You were all expected to forgive him. He did things far worse than what you've done. And yet, he's judging you. They all are. I've made arrangements for you, Raven. Meet me at the warehouse. Bring only your necessities." Slade's voice went silent, and Raven could feel his presence leave her.

Slade's words rang in her ears. She yanked the communicator from her cloak and tossed it at Robin before phasing wordlessly into her room.

The other Titans looked at Robin. Starfire began to sob as Robin crushed the communicator in his hand.

Raven piled her books into a large suitcase. She packed away her meditation mirror and the rest of her clothes in another. She grabbed a few of her favorite trinkets and crammed them into the second suitcase before closing them both. She pulled the two suitcases close to her and took a last look at her room. She wouldn't let herself cry.

Her raven folded its wings around her and carried her away from Titan Tower.

Slade met her on top of the roof. He eyed her in annoyance. "I said necessities."

"These ARE my necessities. My books go where I go," Raven replied sullenly.

"Don't get comfortable. We're leaving." He stared down at her, pointedly ignoring her sadness.

Raven glanced up at him with a questioning look.

"Your former friends know this place now. We don't need any unwanted attention." Slade led her through the empty warehouse, walking down each flight of stairs. She levitated her luggage with her, not saying a word. They exited the warehouse and found a black car waiting for them. Slade opened the trunk for her and she placed her luggage inside.

A ragged looking old man in a suit climbed out of the driver's seat and opened the door for them. Slade indicated for Raven to get in. She slid into the back and Slade sat down next to her. "Go on, Wintergreen." The car took off smoothly, leaving the warehouse behind.

They stopped outside of Jump City. A long, winding driveway led to a cottage surround by neatly manicured trees. Wintergreen opened the door for them and stood aside as they got out. The cottage wasn't much to look at from the outside, and it was even smaller and sparser on the inside.

The living room and kitchen had an absolutely minimal amount of utilitarian, unadorned furniture. It was neat and clean to the point of sterility. The entire house felt empty and cold.

"If it's all the same, I'd like to find my room and unpack." Raven's voice was flat. She wanted to be alone.

"You'll need a tour first. Bring your things." Slade walked through the living room and stepped through a door into a small room. A large bookcase filled with dusty-looking cloth-paneled books lined the entire back wall. The room lacked any other furniture.

"Come here and pay attention." Slade pointed at a book on the shelf.

"War and Peace?" Raven almost laughed. He ignored her and pulled the book towards him, causing the bookcase to slide aside.

Raven's eyebrow arched as Slade made his way down the long hidden staircase revealed by the secret doorway. Raven followed, levitating her luggage behind her.

The staircase led to a large, circular room. An array of computers and glowing monitors filled half of the walls. A small laptop sat on a long, smoked glass table on that side of the room. On the other side, a simple black couch faced a cold stone fireplace. Two recessed doorways lined the sides of the hearth. Above each doorway, a soft light glowed towards the ceiling.

"You'll find the kitchen to the left and our room to the right," he said as he walked towards "their" room.

"I'm sorry?" Raven's voice cracked as she stared at him incredulously.

"This place wasn't created with a roommate in mind. If you'd like, you can sleep upstairs with Wintergreen," Slade explained casually.

"I'll sleep on the couch." Raven crossed her arms, and her luggage dropped to the floor.

Slade turned to face her abruptly. "You'll sleep where I tell you to. Do not insult my hospitality." His voice was cold as he towered over her.

Raven pursed her lips and bit back an angry reply. Slade's eye lingered on her for a long moment before he turned and continued into the room.

A large bed clad in black sheets sat in the room's center. The walls were dark, rich brown. The ceiling was scattered with small inset lights, and a simple black rug lay on the floor.

A doorway immediately to the right of the entrance led into a large bathroom set with double sinks and a large, round in-ground tub. A shower stall sat in the corner of the room. Raven couldn't help but notice noticed the lack of a door or curtain on the shower stall. She groaned inwardly.

Slade pointed out a large walk-in closet. Inside were three dressers and a rotating rack for clothes. The closet alone was the size of her room at the tower. The comparison caused her heart to ache as soon as she had made it—she missed her home.

In no mood to unpack, Raven lowered her luggage to the floor of the closet.

"Your stay here will not be a vacation. I won't allow you to become soft. Your former friends consider you an enemy and you'll need to be able to defend yourself. Tomorrow, I will show you the training room," Raven could hear the wicked smile could in his voice, "and you will train with me."

Slade walked over to stand before her. He placed his hand under her chin and tilted her face up to look at him. "You'll need this." He placed a communicator on her cloak, in almost the exact same position she used to wear the one she'd given back to the Titans. It was circular and burnt orange, a stylized "S" featured prominently in the middle.

"Slade," Raven spoke in her normal, emotionless monotone.

"Yes, Ms. Roth?"

"I'm not Terra. I'm not Robin. I don't have anything left for you to destroy. Why am I here?"

"Because, Raven," Slade's voice was smug. "You have nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to. Not so long ago, I warned Robin that I was taking you." His tone changed to stern and deadly serious with his last words before he turned and left the closet: "I meant it."


End file.
